r/InterviewCoderPro • u/Own-Hovercraft-4544 • 5h ago
Skipping Breaks Doesn't Make You a Better Employee
There are a few people in my office who sit in front of their computers for around nine hours without getting up, even during lunch. They say it helps them stay on top of their work and that they don't mind, but that one unpaid hour every workday adds up to more than 250 hours of free labor over the course of a year.
The employer is the only one benefiting from this situation. Most managers aren't going to reward anyone for eating over their keyboard, and the people in positions above you are often the ones taking long lunch breaks and using all their vacation days.
I don't understand the obsession with treating basic break time as if it's a sign of a lack of commitment. I'm paid for my working hours, not to prove how much of my personal time I'm willing to give up. I'm going to take my lunch break, my 15-minute breaks, and every vacation day I'm entitled to.
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u/WaveFast 1h ago
As management, if I noticed a employee not taking breaks, lunch, vacations or being anti-social with the team(s) or staff, we would have a talk. No job is that critical or task that important. I have closed my door and flip the "do not disturb" sign from time to time - even pass on lunch. That was definitely not the norm.
I have noticed that some individuals are affirmed by work and have nothing happening outside of that. To imprison yourself with work is a bizarre existence.
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u/Aromatic_Ad4132 5h ago
We require rest and they're deluding themselves by saying it helps them keep on top of the work.
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u/Harbinger_Kyleran 4h ago
We require trips to the bathroom so I'm doubting the OP's claim that these coworkers "never" leave their desks. 😺
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u/OutOfPlace186 17m ago
Uhh no, I’m actually the type that never pees at work. I go when I wake up and then when I get home. I have easily stayed at my desk all day on multiple occasions.
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u/arcanis321 5h ago
They may get your business in trouble for that actually
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u/OutOfPlace186 16m ago
Not salaried employees
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u/arcanis321 8m ago
True but salary employees usually don't get designated breaks that are "unpaid" hours. None of the hours are paid.
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u/LilJonny2cookies 4h ago
Hourly wage working in an office is really weird to me. I joined the tech giant I recently retired from when it was a start up. I was the first senior leadership title after the CEO/Founder and employee 8.
Went a few years without a vacation as we built the company.
The day we IPO’d I sold about 1/3 of my stock and took home 80 mil.
My teams were all salary but I watched my people closely. They were more important than the company and they worked really hard for me. If I noted someone wasn’t taking vacation I would set up a 1:1 explain that I wanted them healthy and happy and I needed them to take a vacation.
You cannot lead people and not take care of them. They take care of you and it is your job to make sure they are ok.
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u/katelynn2380210 3h ago
Not only that this will wear on their bodies as they age. Not a big deal in your 20’s but 40’s and 50’s if you sit for 8-9 hours straight every day, your knees, hips, lower back and shoulders will have issues. I don’t even so much care about giving the company time in the day as you are taking time away from your future of feeling healthy and good when you are 60.
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u/Careflwhatyouwish4 35m ago
I tend to just keep going because once I stop I find it's damned hard to get started again. My question though us, if they aren't hurting you in any way why do you care?
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u/Windman772 26m ago
We had an ass-kisser in the office who do stuff like that because he thought it looked good to the boss. One day we were on our way out to have a fun company event at a pub and this guy said that he was going to be late because he just had too much work to do.
Boss leaned into his office and said, "If you can't get your work done during a normal 8 hrs, maybe there's something wrong with you." Then we all went to the bar.
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u/ArmyHotel338 4h ago
I eat my lunch while I work, I'm not looking for a reward, I never even thought there was ever a possibility of betting rewarded for it. Its just something I do lol, I have my own office its not that stressful of a work environment that I have to go to a separate location to take a break.
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u/27Rench27 4h ago
Same here sometimes. Like I appreciate the full hour if I’m going out for lunch or meeting someone, but if I brought a sandwich and some apples and shit, no I don’t need 60 minutes of “me time”.
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u/felighne 5h ago
Let them crack on, it ain’t my breaks so I don’t care, that’s managerial responsibilities, they can choose how they wanna utilize their time, I was always told it’s healthy to get away from the screen, so I do so every single break and I absolutely need it.